What are the laws against owning exotic pets in Canada?
Unfortunately, there are few laws protecting exotic animals from being bought and sold as pets. Canada is a signatory of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). CITES exists to control the trade in endangered species, but unfortunately illegal trading still exists. This means that although it may be legal in your municipality to purchase an exotic pet, the animal may well have been imported illegally into the country. Few municipalities have bylaws to protect exotic animals, which mean it is legal in most municipalities for people to own a tiger, boa or crocodile. It is important for all municipalities to strongly consider putting exotic animal bylaws into place before anymore tragedies occur.
